It’s that time again. This year I’m including some Canadian sites for your enjoyment.
I didn’t know where to put Yoho as I didn’t really feel like we did enough there to merit a rating. So, it gets an honorable mention. I liked it. It was pretty. The town of Field was fun.
32. Indiana Dunes National Park
Yes, Indiana Dunes is still at the bottom of the list. And it’ll probably stay here for the foreseeable future.
Read my post about Indiana Dunes here.
31. Grand Canyon National Park
Read my post about the Grand Canyon here.
30. Congaree National Park
Oof, Congaree took a hit this year. It’s still above the Grand Canyon though…
Read my post about Congaree here.
29. Bryce Canyon National Park
Read my post about Bryce Canyon here.
28. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Read my post about Mount Rushmore (and Wind Cave) here.
27. Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (and UNESCO World Heritage Site!)
This park has several units in and around Chillicothe and has a fascinating story to tell. The museum showcased some items found in the mounds that were fascinating.
26. Arches National Park
Read my post about Arches here.
25. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
So, the park itself was beautiful. Getting to the park through Pigeon Forge is horrific.
Read my post about Great Smoky Mountains here.
24. William Howard Taft National Historic Site
23. Devil’s Tower National Monument
Read my post about Devil’s Tower here.
22. Boston National Historic Park
Read my post about Boston here.
21. Fort Pulaski National Monument
Read my post about Fort Pulaski here.
20. Fort Sumter National Monument
Read my post about Fort Sumter here.
19. Cape Cod National Seashore
18. Mammoth Cave National Park
Read my post about Mammoth Cave NP here.
17. Badlands National Park
Read my post about Badlands here.
16. Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs is the butt of the national parks service a truly unique National Park experience and it’s and iconic part of Catherine and I’s friendship. It should probably be higher on the list purely because of how much we anticipated our visit.
15. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Read my post about New River Gorge here.
14. Capitol Reef National Park
Read my post about Capitol Reef here.
13. Saratoga National Historical Park
Read my post about Saratoga here.
12. Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Read about my first trip to Cuyahoga here.
And about my second trip to Cuyahoga here.
11. National Mall and Memorial Parks
This was a true adventure and I was honored to share it with Derek in 2020 right before covid changed everything.
10. Minuteman National Historical Park
This sprawling park encompasses both Lexington and Concord, and plenty in between. Pristine colonial houses, one after another, line the streets of Lexington. Buckman Tavern, the Battle Green, and the grave of the British soldier are all incredible stops in town. The North Bridge in Concord is where the “Shot Heard Round the World” was fired. Along the road to Concord is the Paul Revere Capture Site.
9. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Read my posts about the Pictured Rocks here and here.
8. Glacier National Park
I had high expectations for Glacier, and it’s certainly beautiful. It was enjoyable. It just didn’t capture my heart.
7. Canyonlands National Park
Read my post about Canyonlands here.
6. Shenandoah National Park
When we visited in 2023, we checked out the southern portion of the park. We did a short but rewarding hike that was truly memorable and really brought Shenandoah up in the rankings. As Derek said right after we left, “We’ll be back!”
Read my first post about Shenandoah here.
5. Wind Cave National Park
I don’t know why, but I just had a great experience at this park. We saw wildlife, the scenery was pretty, and even though I got a tad bored on the cave tour, everything else was pleasant beyond compare!
Read my post about Wind Cave here.
4. Banff National Park of Canada
While it really doesn’t capture the National Park vibes, I did thoroughly enjoy Banff and I expected to hate it because of the crowds. We timed our visit well and didn’t really have problems with people. There were a lot of them, but not as many as I expected. And you just can’t beat the views.
3. Zion National Park
2. Jasper National Park of Canada
“The main attraction of Jasper is that it’s not Banff.” Jasper was the one park in Canada that had an actual National Park vibe. We kayaked, saw some elk and loons, did several hikes, and stayed in a charming lodge with great views and delicious views. I enjoyed Jasper and fondly remember my time there.
1. Theodore Roosevelt National Park
It’ll have to be a truly enchanting park in order to knock Teddy Roosevelt off the top of my list.
Read my post about Teddy Roosevelt NP here.
Well, there’s the list. What’s next? Everglades…Acadia…Pelee of Canada? Maybe all three? Maybe I’ve sworn off Canada forever but the lure of Pelee is enticing. What if we go to more than just the Everglades? After all, there are many more NPS sites in Florida. At any rate, I’m sure I’ll find plenty of sites to add to this list next year.
Mellow Musings 